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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · wax · pop · lie · spell · patient · perch · tube

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pop — music
  5. tube — a container
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. pop — soda
  10. lie — to recline
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. spell — letters
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — to grow
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com